Research On French European Integration Policy

European integration has been the most integrated, most accomplished and mostinfluential integration process in this world by far. As an European power, France hasalways had the vital influence on European integration. As European integrationevolves, the French policy on European integration has experienced a process fromestablishment to constant adjustments, with distinct features in all the phases.The Schuman Plan, published in1950, marked the formal establishment of theFrench policy on European integration, and France became the “initiator” and“advocate”. The French policy on European integration from1958to1969wasimprinted by Gaullism. Charles de Gaulle established Franco-German Axis as thedynamic of European integration, and supported establishing the costumes union andcommon agricultural policy (CAP). At the same time, he tried to reverse thesupra-national trend of European integration via the Empty Chair Crisis, meaning thedual character of the French policy on European integration and a major of this policy.The European integration experienced its hard times in1970s and1980s, but Franceeffectively promoted European integration through more pragmatic and flexible policy,attempting to get a balance between Monnet’s Europe and de Gaulle’s Europe. Francepromoted European political co-operation on the basis of Franco-German Axis,established European council and European men monetary system, realized directpopular election in European parliament, passed Single European Act, and tried tocheck the post-unification Germany by deepening both EMU and EPU. After the ColdWar, France got more actively devoted to European integration. Chirac promoted thebuilding of EMU and defense system, integrated Western Europe Union into EU, andsupported the EU enlargement, on the basis of strengthening Franco-German Axis.But the French denied the Constitutional Treaty that they initiated, and were blamedas the bad student in EU. In the new century, the French policy on Europeanintegration was trapped in confusion and hesitation. In order to get rid of the dilemma,Sarkozy initiated the goal called Return to Europe, featured by practical andspeculative. In face of European debt crisis, France had to reinforce its co-operations and co-ordinations with Germany, while Germany reinforced its influence in EU. Thenewly elected Hollande tied to rebalance intra-EU relationship, so the Franco-Germanrelationship begins to take on new trends, while cooperation still surpassesdisagreements.In sum, the essential purpose of the French policy on European integrationincludes to guarantee national security, and to promote the influence and power statusof France. French future policy to European integration is still subject to adjustment,but whether the left wing comes into power or the right wing, the French policy onEuropean integration still has its constant factors: the essential role of Franco-GermanAxis, the aim to promote French influence, and the priority of deepening EU reform.